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Wed 13 Mar 2019

Fri 15 Mar 2019

Digne Reveals Pride To Play Alongside 'Intelligent' Bernard

By Paul McNamara

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Lucas Digne says he counts himself fortunate to be playing in tandem with “amazing” Everton attacker Bernard.

The left-sided pair struck up an instant understanding when Bernard made his first Everton start in the 2-1 victory at Leicester City back in October.

They dovetailed beautifully in last week’s meeting with Newcastle United, the mobile duo's smart movement and deft passing routinely opening up their opponents, most tellingly for the move which ended with Dominic Calvert-Lewin heading in from Digne’s cross.

And the former Paris Saint-Germain player – who has created 47 chances this term, the joint-highest number of any defender in Europe’s top-five leagues, along with Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich – admits he is spoiled by the richness of his options with the ball at his feet.

“Bernard is an amazing player, he understands everything and is very intelligent,” Digne told evertontv.

“We are talking all the time, in training and out of training. We have a very good relationship and it is really important to speak all the time.

“When you have a good feeling away from the game, you usually have a good feeling on the pitch, too. Now it is like this for us and I am very happy to play with Bernard.

“The coach sometimes chooses Richarlison on the left, too, and he is also an amazing player.

“And Ademola Lookman can play there, so I am lucky to play behind the attackers we have on that side.”

Digne has started 27 games in all competitions for Everton following his summer move from Barcelona. He has created five goals – four of them for Calvert-Lewin, including one on his full Premier League debut against Huddersfield Town in the season’s opening weeks.

The left-back’s tally of 214 crosses is more than the comparative figure recorded by any other top-flight player this term.

The 25-year-old insists, however, that the circumstances of the game dictate his decision-making.

“It is not always my first thought [to cross], it depends on the situation and if Bernard or Richarlison move in front of me,” said Digne.

“It is down to how the game looks in that moment.

“But Dominic has good timing and when I saw him moving [against Newcastle] I wanted to put in the cross.

“He did his job very well.”

Digne admitted he sourced little pleasure from his most recent assist after Everton lost the game at Newcastle.

He is, then, eyeing up Sunday’s clash with Chelsea as an opportunity to swiftly bounce back and, in common with a number of his teammates, hoping for a Goodison Park atmosphere to rival the one generated for the recent Merseyside derby.

On a similar note, the genial Frenchman embraced the opportunity to mingle with supporters at Everton in the Community’s People’s Place Gala Dinner this week.

“It is always important when you can help the people… it [EitC] is really important for us as players, for the Club and the city, and the development of the city,” added Digne, called up this week for his country's forthcoming European Championship qualifying matches with Moldova and Iceland.

“We can do something great together.

“The dinner was an opportunity to meet the fans in a place other than Goodison and enjoy the night together.

“The atmosphere during the derby was exceptional and I hope it will be against Chelsea, too. It is really important for us.

“We feel the people behind us and you want to give more, more and more. If you are tired, you give more, you say, ‘I can’t be tired, the people are looking at me’.

“We are playing with 12 players when it is like that inside Goodison.

“It is so important they are behind us. And the most important thing is to stay together like this and continue in a positive way.”

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